APL Rhetorical Terms Flashcards
abstract
refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images (ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places). The observable or “physical” is usually described in concrete language.
allegory
an extended narrative in prose or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities and which the writer has seconds meaning beneath surface of story
anecdote
short, simple narrative of an incident; usually used for humorous effect or to make a point
annotation
explanatory notes added to text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data
antithesis
presentation of 2 contrasting images
aphorism
short, often witty statement of a principle/truth about life. “Early bird gets the worm”
apostrophe
usually in poetry but sometimes in prose; device calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or absent place, thing, or personified abstraction
argumentation
writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments. ex: persuasive writing
cacophony; dissonance
harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; opposite of euphony
caricarture
descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality
colloqualism
word/phrase used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing
coherence; unity
quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle
concrete language
language that describes specific observable things, people, or places, rather than ideas or qualities
connotation
implied or suggested meaning of a word because its association in the reader’s mind
consonance
repetition of identical consonant sounds within 2 or more words
conundrum
riddle whose answer is or involves a pun, it may also be a paradox or difficult problem
deduction
process of moving from a general rule to a specific example
denotation
literal meaning of a word as defined
Description
The picturing in words of something or someone through detail using the senses
Diction
Word choice, Creates tone, attitude, and style as well as meaning.
Didactic
Writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethnic concerns. It may be fiction or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking
Discourse
Spoken or written language. 4 traditionally classified modes of discourse are Description, exposition, narration, and persuasion
Emotional appeal-pathos
When a writer appeals to readers’ emotions to excite and involve them in an argument
Epigraph
Use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises w/ 2 epigraphs. One of them is “You are all a lost generation” by Gertrude Stein
Ethnic appeal-ethos
Use of persuasion to get the audience to respect and believe him/her based on a presentation of image of self through text. Aim is to gain the audience’s confidence.
Euphemism
A more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropraite or uncomfortable. “He went to his final reward” is a commom one for “he died”. They are also often used to obscure the reality of a situation.
Euphony
A succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose. Opposite of cacophony
Example
Individual instance taken to be reprsentative of a general pattern. Arguing by example is considered reliable if ex. are demonstratable true or factual as well as relevant.
Explication
The art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. It usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language
Exposition
Immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background info necessary for understanding the plot. Also explanation. 1 of the 4 modes of discourse
Generalization
When a writer bases a claim upon an isolated ex or asserts that a claim is certain rather than probable. Sweeping generalizations occur when a writer asserts that a clain applies to all instances instead of some.
Genre
Literary work, such as a novel or poem. There are also subgenres, such as science fiction or sonnet, within the larger parts
Humor
Anything that causes laughter or amusement, up until the end of the Renaissance, humor meant a person’s temperament
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis Example:He was so hungry he could have eaten a horse
Image
A word or words used to describe a sensory experience or an object perceived by the sense. It is always a concrete representation
Imagery
Words or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to one or more of the 5 senses in order to create a mental picture
Induction
The process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization
Inference
A conclusion one can draw from the presented details
Invective
Verbally abusive attack
Inversion
Reversing the customary (subject then verb then complement) order of elements in a sentence or phrase. It is used effectively in many cases such as posing a question: “ are you going to the store.” usually the element that appears first is emphasized more than the subject.
Jargon
Special language of a profession or group. It usually has pejorative associations with the implication that jargon is evasive, tedious, and unintelligible to outsiders.
Logical appeal, logos
When a writer tries to persuade the audience based on statistics and facts. Process of reasoning
Lyrical
Songlike. Characterized by emotions, subjectivity, and imagination
Mode
The method or form of a literary work; the manner in which a work of literature is written
mood
similar to tone; mood is primary emotional attitude of a work. the feeling of the work.
narration
telling of a story in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama; one of the 4 modes of discourse
objectivity
an impersonal presentation of events and characters. It is a writer’s attempt to remove himself/herself from an subjective personal involvement in a story. Hard news journalism is frequesntly prized for its objectivity although even fictional storues can be told withouit a writer rendering personal judgement.
paradox
a statement that seems to contradict itself but that turns out to have a rational meaning, as in this quotation from Henry David Thoreau; “i never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”
Parallelism
technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form. Parallel structure may be as simple as listing 2 or 3 modifiers in a row to describe the same noun or verb; it may take the form of 2 or more of the same type of phrases.
parody
a work that ridicules the style of anopther work by imitating and exaggerating its elements. It can be utterly mocking or gently humorous. It depends on allusion and exaggerates and distorts the orgininal style and content.
Pathetic Appeal; Pathos
When a writer tries to persuade the audience by appealing to the emotions. The aspects of a literary work that elicit sorrow or pity from the audience. Over-emotionalism can be the result of an excess pathos.
pedantic
term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing
persuasion
a form of argumentation, 1 of 4 modes of discourse, language intended to convince through appeals to reason or emotion
regionalism
element in literature that conveys a realistic portrayal of a specific geographical locale, using the locale and its influences as a major part of the plot
repetition
word or phrase used 2 or more times in close proximity
rhetorical modes
exposition, description, narration, argumentation
rhetorical question
question that doesn’t expect an explicit answer. It’s used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience
sarcasm
harsh, caustic personal remarks to or about someone
satire
a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way. It doesn’t simply abuse or get personal. It targets groups or large concepts rather than individuals
speaker
the voice of a work
stereotype
a character who represents a trait that is usually attributed to a particular social or racial group and who lacks individuality; a conventional pattern, expression, or idea
style
an author’s characteristic manner of expression- his/her diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to style
subjectivity
a personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author’s feelings and opinions
syllogism
a form of reasoning in which 2 statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them. It is the format of a formal argument that consists of a major formal argument that consists of a major premise, minor premise, and conlcusion.
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent a whole, such as using “boards” to mean a stage or “wheels” to mean a car
syntactic fluency
ability to create a variety of sentence structures, approximately complex and/or varied in length
Syntatic permutation
Sentence structures that extraordinarily complex and involved. They are often difficult for the novice render to follow.
Syntax
The grammatical structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence. Includes the length of a sentence, kinds of sentences (questions, exclamations, declarative, rhetorical questions, simple, complex, compound)
Theme
Central idea or message of the literary work
Thesis
Main idea of a piece of writing. It presents the author’s claim
Tone
Characteristic emotion or attitude of an author toward the characters, subject, and audience
Transition
A word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph.
Understatement
Opposite of exaggeration. It’s a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended
Voice
Refers to 2 different areas of writing. One refers to the relationship between a sentence’s subject and verb (active and conflict). The 2nd refers to the total “sound” of a writer’s style
